James 2
1 My brothers, practice your faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, without showing partiality.
My brethren, hold not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, in a partial respect of persons.
2 Suppose a man in fine clothing comes into your assembly wearing a gold ring, and a poor man in filthy clothing also comes in.
For if there come into your synagogue a man with a gold ring in fine clothes, and there come in also a poor man in a mean habit;
3 If you pay attention to the man who is wearing fine clothing and say to him, “Yoʋ sit here in a good place,” but you say to the poor man, “Yoʋ stand there, or sit here under my footstool,”
and ye turn your eyes toward him that weareth the fine clothes, and say to him, Sit thou here in an honorable place; and say to the poor man, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:
4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
do ye not make a partial difference within yourselves, and become judges that reason wickedly?
5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen the poor of the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?
Hear, my beloved brethren; hath not God chosen the poor of this world who are rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom, which He hath promised to them that love Him? but ye have slighted the poor.
6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Are they not the ones who drag you into court?
Do not the rich tyrannize over you; and drag you to their tribunals?
7 Do they not blaspheme the good name by which you are called?
Do they not blaspheme the glorious name by which ye are called?
8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “Yoʋ shall love yoʋr neighbor as yoʋrself,” you do well.
If ye fulfil the royal law, according to the scripture, which saith, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well.
9 But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
But if ye partially respect persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.
10 For whoever keeps the entire law but stumbles in one point has become guilty of it all.
For whosoever shall keep the whole law besides, but offend in one point, he is under the penalty of all:
11 For he who said, “Yoʋ shall not commit adultery,” also said, “Yoʋ shall not murder.” Now if yoʋ do not commit adultery but do commit murder, yoʋ have become a transgressor of the law.
for He that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou do not commit adultery, but committest murder, thou art a transgressor of the law.
12 Speak and act as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.
So speak, and so act, as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.
13 For judgment is without mercy to anyone who has not shown mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.
For he shall have judgement without mercy, that hath not shewn mercy: but mercy triumpheth over judgement.
14 What is the benefit, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?
What is the advantage, my brethren, if any one say that he has faith, and he hath not works, can faith alone save him?
15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacks daily food,
If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food;
16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them anything to address their physical needs, what is the benefit?
and one of you say to them, Go in peace, be ye warmed and be ye filled: but ye give them not the necessaries of life, what profit is it to them?
17 In the same way faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
so faith, if it have not works, being alone, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “Yoʋ have faith, and I have works.” Show me yoʋr faith by yoʋr works, and I, by my works, will show yoʋ my faith.
But one may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith by thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
19 Yoʋ believe that God is one; yoʋ do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!
Thou believest that there is one God; thou dost well: the devils also believe and tremble.
20 Do yoʋ want to be shown, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
But desirest thou to know, O vain man, that faith without works, is dead?
21 Was not our father Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
consider, Was not our father Abraham justified by works, when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar?
22 Do yoʋ see how faith was active along with his works, and by works his faith was brought to completion?
Thou seest that faith co-operated with his works, and that by his works his faith was perfected.
23 And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness,” and he was called a friend of God.
And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness; and he was called the friend of God.
24 You see then that a person is justified by works, and not by faith alone.
Ye see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
25 In the same way, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?
And in like manner also was not the harlot Rahab justified by works, when she entertained the spies, and let them out another way?
26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
